Novel N-p-carboxy benzyl chitosan/poly (vinyl alcohol/functionalized zeolite mixed matrix membranes for DMFC applications

[Display omitted] •Modified chitosan based CBC/PVA composite membranes were prepared using dissolution casting technique.•The membranes exhibit minimum methanol permeability of 2.0 × 10−7 cm2/s.•Composite membrane with 10 wt. % MZ shows highest proton conductivity. The novel N-p-carboxy benzyl chitosan (CBC)/ poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) based mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) filled with surface-modified zeolite have been prepared using the dissolution casting technique. The applicability of prepared MMMs for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was investigated in terms of water uptake, methanol permeation, and proton conductivity by changing filler content (10−50 wt. %). The zeolite was modified by silane coupling agent, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The resultant modified zeolite (MZ) was incorporated into CBC/PVA blend to obtain mixed matrix PEMs. The functional group, structural properties, morphological and topographical investigation of MMMs were examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) respectively. The prepared MMMs exhibited a remarkable decrease in methanol permeability of 2.3 × 10−7 cm2/s with C-CPMZ50. The maximum value of proton conductivity of 0.0527 Scm−1, was shown by C-CMPZ10. The prepared PEMs also displayed good stability during long term operating time.